


Victory

by canufeelthemagictonight



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alex is the s2 punching bag and we all know it, Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark, Despair, Friendship, Gen, Heroism, I'm Sorry, Male Friendship, Non-Canonical Character Death, Prometheans, Protectiveness, Sad Ending, Unhappy Ending, What Have I Done, attempted rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canufeelthemagictonight/pseuds/canufeelthemagictonight
Summary: "Why don't we pull our levers at the same time?" Alex suggests. "It'll beourvictory. We'll tie for it."Alex goes into the Prometheans' challenge against a different opponent.In other news, I'm Satan.An Escape the Night AU.





	Victory

**Author's Note:**

> Local Fanfic Writer Likes to Torture Herself with Heartbreaking AUs, more at eleven.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that Tyler Oakley is _not_ going to survive this challenge.

While Alex is two pieces away from finishing his final puzzle, his blonde opponent has _just_ moved on from the cables (and even then, only because of Alex's hints). Tyler shakes like a leaf. Sweat and tears glisten on his face. He glances every so often at the giant Promethean man who shadows him, and it seems to be making his anxiety worse.

 _I'm going to win,_ thinks Alex as he slides another piece into place. _I'm going to win, and I'm going to lose my closest friend in the worst way imaginable._

He's known Tyler for ages. Their parents were good friends (Tyler once joked that they were in a "group love affair"), so, naturally, they became good friends as well. Tonight, that friendship has only grown stronger. Tyler was there for Alex when Lauren died, when DeStorm was causing trouble, when they made that alliance with Tana, when Tana died as well...heck, Tyler's pretty much the only person left that Alex can one hundred percent trust. Now, they're about to be torn apart by a crazy old man who wants a robot wife.

_No. I don't_ want _this victory. I_ promised _myself I'd save him!_

He forces himself to complete the puzzle, then spends a whole minute staring at it before speaking up. "Tyler," he says in a flat voice, "I'm done."

The Thespian looks up from his own half-finished puzzle, sees Alex's victory, and goes pale. "C-congrats," he manages to stammer before curling up into a ball of broken terror.

All Alex has to do is pull his lever on the steam machine, and victory will be his. He'll survive the Prometheans' game.

But...Tyler...

_The harder you work, the faster you kill your friend._

Alex walks up to a sobbing Tyler, sits beside him, and puts an arm around his trembling shoulders. He tries to think of something to say that will calm Tyler down, but there are no words in the world that can distract _either_ of them from the knowledge that Tyler's heart—his good, kind, loving heart—will be ripped out of his chest and used to power a machine. So, instead, they sit together, and it's like the Prometheans, Jetpack Girl, Alison, and Cedric aren't here. It's just Alex Wassabi and Tyler Oakley against the powers of evil.

After a while, Tyler lifts his head up and speaks in a shattered voice. "What are you waiting for? Pull the lever already."

"I'm trying to think of a way to save you," Alex confesses.

"No." Tyler shakes his head. "No, don't do that. Sampson and I did that with Liza, and I thought we saved her, but I'm an idiot, so she died anyway. _I'm_ Liza now. If you save me, the Sorceress will know, and..." He hugs his knees to his chest. "Just do it. Get it over with. I knew you'd win, anyway. I knew it the minute I went up against you."

"I'm not just gonna let you die," is Alex's firm reply. "I have to do _something."_ His eyes land on the levers. "You know what? I think I have an idea."

"If you're gonna sacrifice yourself for me, please don't," whimpers Tyler.

As tempting as that is, there's a better way—a way that will (hopefully) save both Tyler and Alex. "Why don't we pull our levers at the same time?" Alex suggests. "It'll be _our_ victory. We'll tie for it."

"That didn't work out so well for Cedric Diggory," Tyler says, but there's a glimmer of hope on his face.

"This isn't _Harry Potter,_ Tyler. It'll work for us. I know it will."

"And if the Sorceress comes?"

 _I'll die._ "I'll deal with her." Alex stands up and holds his hand out to Tyler. "Do you trust me?"

"I..." Tyler hesitates. He looks from Alex to Cedric to the Prometheans and back again. Finally, he takes Alex's hand. "I trust you."

"Okay. Let's do it."

They hold hands as they walk to the steam machine. Alex thinks of Lauren, and a part of him wishes that he could've been there for her during her challenge. But even though he couldn't save her, he still has a chance to save someone he cares about, and he's not going to waste that chance now.

The boys take their places at their respective levers. "On three," says Alex. "One...two..."

Tyler mumbles something, but his voice is too soft for Alex to hear.

"Three."

Alex and Tyler pull their levers in perfect unison. Steam clouds the room. Alex immediately runs to Tyler, grabs his hand, and pulls him towards the exit. _We did it,_ he tells himself, relishing the confusion that's clearly present in the Prometheans. _We're going to live._

Cedric blocks the door. He points his weird weapon at the boys. "You're not going anywhere."

"Um." Tyler clutches Alex's arm. "Alex, he has the net gun thing. What do we do now?"

"We won your challenge!" Alex shouts at the old man. "Let us through!"

But Cedric shakes his head. "I need a human heart."

"Cedric, maybe there's another way," suggests Jetpack Girl nervously.

"I've been looking for another way for years," replies Cedric. "There is no other way. I can't let my conscience stop me any longer." There's a sad look in his eyes, but Alex feels no pity for him. "I'm sorry. It has to be done."

Alex pulls Tyler close to him. The Thespian is shaking even harder than before. The Novelist, on the other hand, keeps looking for a way past Cedric. He glances over his shoulder, only to spot the Prometheans right behind them.

"The one in the red coat is the one who lost," Cedric instructs the Prometheans. "Take him."

_"No!"_

The Prometheans attack. One of them grabs Alex, while the other rips a screaming Tyler out of his arms. Alex grits his teeth and holds on for as long as he can, squeezing Tyler's hand in a fierce, determined grip, but eventually, the Prometheans force their hands apart.

"No!" Alex struggles to free himself. "Ty! Tyler! No!" _I can't let them do this! I have to save him! I was_ supposed _to save him!_

"Alex!" Tyler screams. "Alex, make him _stop,_ Alex, please! I don't wanna die!" He's tackled to the ground. His glasses fall off his face and smash into a thousand pieces against the stone floor. "Alex! _Alex!"_

Alex keeps fighting. He fights as Tyler's cries of fear become cries of pain, he fights as the room slips into silence, and he doesn't stop fighting until the Promethean pulls himself to his feet with a beating heart in his bloodstained fist.

 _It's over._ As the Promethean presents the heart to Cedric, Alex catches a glimpse of what remains of Tyler Oakley: a bloody corpse, a ruined coat, and a shattered pair of eyeglasses. _Tyler's dead. He trusted me to save him, and I let him die._

Alex can't breathe. He hasn't felt like this since Lauren. He doesn't even have the energy to resist being marched out of the room by the Promethean. The only thing he knows how to do is cry, so that's what he does.

_I'm sorry, Tyler. I'm so sorry. It should've been me instead of you._

 

"I ship it so much, kind of!" Joey squees as Cedric departs with his Bride. "It's kind of a little—"

Alex slaps him across the face.

**Author's Note:**

> Send your hate comments to iregreteverything@screwthisshow.com.


End file.
